This invention relates to an improvement in water skis and is particularly directed to versatile water ski structures which have improved stability in the water and which permit the user to walk on solid surfaces, such as sand, hard ground or ice, without damaging the skis for use in water.
Water skis for walking on the surface of water for sport or recreational purposes are known. Thus, it is known to provide water skis in the form of pontoons with rubber cup-shaped contractible fins on the underside thereof, which are used to provide traction to the user while walking on the water, to allow the pontoons to progress forward. This is accomplished by the fins reacting against the water to prevent backward movement of the pontoon.
Examples of such water skis are found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,694,209 and Canadian Pat. Nos. 736,381 and 961,063.
However, such prior art water skis do not have good stability and are not easily guided by the user when walking on the water. Further, it is difficult for the user to walk with the skis on sand, such as beach sand, or on dry land, particularly without damaging the rubber fins on the bottom of the pontoons.
Further, if the user falls off the water skis, it is difficult to remount such skis while in the water.
One object of the present invention is to provide improved water skis of the above general type, which have greater stability and permit easier guidance by the user when walking on the water.
Another object is to provide improved water skis of the above type which also permit the user to walk on sand, loose dirt or land, and on ice, readily and without damaging the rubber cups on the under portion of the skis.
A still further object is to provide improved skis of the above type provided with means to permit a pair of the skis to be joined together so that there is no relative movement with respect to each other, thereby permitting the user to mount the skis readily while they are in the water.